Top Gear USA free to criticize cars at will
When I was a kid there was this terrible car show on television that was sponsored by a certain automaker that shall remain nameless. Every week – that is, every week I could bear to watch it, at least – the hosts would review a car from that company, and guess what? They always liked it! And that's what makes Top Gear such a hit. Because the BBC is publicly-funded, they don't have advertisements. (Notice that downloaded episodes of Top Gear run an actual full hour, instead of the usual "hour-long" shows that run 45 minutes.) Without advertisers, Clarkson and company are free to say what they want about whatever car they're reviewing, and so journalistic integrity remains intact, even as they catapult caravans and play soccer (sorry, "football") with hatchbacks.
With NBC "gearing" up for its own version of the hit car show, reportedly to be called simply "Gear", the fear was that, as the show would be dependent on commercial advertisements, the recently-announced team of co-hosts would be reigned in by the bean-counters regarding what they could and could not say about the cars they'd be reviewing. Thankfully, on a recent episode of his radio talk-show, Adam Carolla revealed that no such limitations would be imposed by NBC on the show's editorial autonomy. You know, this may just work out yet. Thanks for the tip, T Bray!
[Source: FinalGear.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Yar 1:30PM (6/23/2008)
God I hope they just rip a hole in every British car they get their hands on.
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Vintage 1:34PM (6/23/2008)
Like... Landrover and Jaguar?
Oh wait. Those are Indian companies now. Hahaha. :)
Vintage 1:34PM (6/23/2008)
Like... Landrover and Jaguar?
Oh wait. Those are Indian companies now. Heh.
Richardh 1:35PM (6/23/2008)
I'd take a British car over most Americans cars anyday. How come I have a feeling that even though they say they won't have limitations that it is just a lie.
psarhjinian 1:38PM (6/23/2008)
What British cars? There's a British car company? Who?
Seriously, other than coachbuilders, there's noting.
SimbaDogg 2:47PM (6/23/2008)
a british car over an american car? yeah...right
"British autos, the most unreliable on the road...for over two decades and running"
MacroEQ 9:55AM (6/24/2008)
The majority of British cars are luxury brands which most Americans [or Britons] will never be able to afford.
The majority of American cars, are sold in the U.S and Americans don't buy them opting for more efficient, better built and better looking Japanese cars.
If this show is truely going to be critical then American car manufacturers will need to start worrying.
Vintage 1:33PM (6/23/2008)
I highly doubt it. If they piss off a company, I'm sure America's sue-happy companies would sue for libel or something.
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SimbaDogg 2:55PM (6/23/2008)
umm...not possible. if this were true, motortrend, car and driver, and even autoblog would have been out of business a long long time ago
Pacman 3:06PM (6/23/2008)
Dateline, 60 min, 20/20 - all of these shows have commercials and still take on the news. The news shows often have stories about corporations and business.
Alex 1:34PM (6/23/2008)
i'll reserve judgement until the show hits the air waves.
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Red 1:39PM (6/23/2008)
I'm with you on this one, but I'm still leaning toward the negative side just because it's NBC. They've had some truly wretched programming for the past few years.
Steve_S 2:07PM (6/23/2008)
I'll believe it when I see it. Or rather see it after the network has taken flack from an advertiser and still lets them have free reign.
KazO 1:38PM (6/23/2008)
The simple (but lame) workaround is simply not review crappy cars, or just not air those reviews.
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T 2:24PM (6/23/2008)
= boring, crappy tv show.
Brad 1:39PM (6/23/2008)
I'll believe that when I see it.
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K.C. 1:44PM (6/23/2008)
They won't rip them with British wit and it'll be boring, period.
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strangway 1:12AM (6/24/2008)
"They won't rip them with British wit and it'll be boring, period."
Adam Carolla was right when he recently said on his show that Brits are better than Americans. Like all of us, he knows the American version won't be as good, but it's worth a shot. If anyone can do it well in the States, Adam can.
NBC shows really do suck. As much as I want this new Gear show to rock (because most reality shows are crap), a lot of scripted shows on NBC reflect poor judgment.
The Bionic Woman remake
Knight Rider remake
Both are recent decisions by NBC management, and both were terrible. If the new Bionic Woman show got good ratings, it would still be around. It's good to know people still have enough taste to avoid bad shows. I just wish people would have the patience to watch quality dramas that don't involve intense violence or gore (CSI, CSI Miami, CSI NY).
s13hybrid 1:44PM (6/23/2008)
I will also wait to judge. I hope the car companies can not just sue. If they want a good review, they should make a good car, it is that simple. Companies can not sure car magazines for reporting how a car rates, can they? Why would a TV show be any different?
Good luck to them, I hope this show is good.
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Chase 1:55PM (6/23/2008)
to make me more confident about this supposed journalistic freedom, which we know does not exist in the USA, perhaps NBC should pledge to not show an automotive commercial immediately before, immediately after, nor in between commercial breaks for this show.
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